On February 21st, 2013 I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Vancouver Art Gallery. The show presented was Ian Wallace: At the Intersection of Painting and Photography. It was a very powerful show that caught my eye in many ways. His talent as a painter and photographer truly came out throughout the show.
The Ian Wallace exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery was very eye opening for me. I went with my classmates in my photography 11/12 class and it was very inspiring to many of us. Through his painting, sculpture, and photography, he showed us how powerful art can be. Wallace is also very interested in poetry and literature, which shows in his art pieces as well.
The most powerful section of this exhibition for me was the photographs with his painting and photos. He framed them in a mirror-like way with small strips of colour on one side, and street photographs on the other. I think this was a very creative way of portraying his painting and photography all in one frame. The strips brought out the colours in the pictures he took and made them “pop”. I think this showed the strong connection between visual art and photography. I enjoyed this because it showed how his artistic talents can go hand-in-hand and enhance each other in different ways.
This section was inspiring to me because it related to my work at the time. I was doing a large ongoing project on street photography and this gave me some ideas and incentive for my project. It was great that this show was relatable to my own photography, and I could get a lot out of it. Wallace’s investigation in the streets and his focus on urban life created a new outlook on city life for me. He focused on one’s relationship to the modern city and the surrounding architecture.
The layout of the project was very effective and left much room for interpretation. In my opinion, openness and will to walk around is very important in gallery exhibitions. With plain white walls and plenty open space, it provided an ideal environment for our class to analyze the photographs. The photos were in very large scale which allowed us to look at them from different distances and depict them in many ways. Since they were so large, it allowed for a variety of different aspects to look at and I seemed to notice new things every time. I personally think that is a strong element in art to have confusion or wonders. That showed in this exhibition, as I often had to go back through the photos to understand them in unfamiliar ways. The way the photos were grouped together worked very well. The ones that were put side by side had strong connections to each other and enhanced one another.
One aspect that would’ve amplified my experience at this show was the artist explanations. I find that descriptions of the work being displayed is very helpful and interesting to know. I would’ve liked to know more about the thought and meaning behind his photographs, to see if my understanding of his art was the same as his purposeful meaning. Although there is space for completely individual opinions, I personally prefer knowing the story behind it all. This would’ve displayed the underlying truth of his artwork in a truly personal way. In my opinion, it is important to know the artist’s intent and then put your own thought into it.
The Ian Wallace presentation at the Vancouver Art Gallery was powerful and inspirational. He has played a critical role in contemporary art and continues to share his art and photography to encourage young artists, including my photography class. I was very impressed by this gallery opening and would suggest it to anyone.
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